Do not only blame the radical right populists: On the weaponization and mainstreaming of conspiracy theories in Spain.

Conspiracy theories are rooted in a populist logic that portrays the people as threatened or abused by a morally corrupt elite. The literature has established that populist leaders exploit and weaponize conspiracy theories. However, the mainstreaming of such theories by traditional parties has received less attention. This paper contrasts the evolution of two prominent conspiracy theories in Spain: “the great replacement” and “lawfare/deep state”. It investigates how each of these theories have been discursively constructed and utilized by populist and non-populist political parties. The analyses of past and present written communications and speeches show that political actors have tailored these narratives to fit the domestic and regional socio-political contexts. The idea of demographic substitution by Muslim populations is becoming salient among popular among far-right parties such as Vox and Aliança Catalana. Additionally, Catalan and Basque nationalist parties have long mainstreamed the notion of an ethnic and cultural replacement by immigrants from other poorer Spanish regions. In recent years the accusations of political interference against the judiciary and Spanish security have also gained traction. These claims have been instrumentalized by far-left and secessionist populist parties to discredit the Spanish democratic regime (“regimen del 78”). Moreover, mainstream parties Partido Popular and Socialist Party have also employed these accusations to delegitimize each other. Their influence on journalists and analysts has led to the more frequent repetition of conspiracist frames in the media, potentially undermining trust in institutions and popularizing a conspiracy mentality.